Machine for sealing bottles, etc.



Nov. 15, 1927. 1 1,649,141

J. TALANSIER MACHINE FOR SEALING BOTTLES, ETC

Filed Dec. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l -Z 7b7/6'7UZ0 Nov. 15, 1927.

J. TALANSIER MACHINE FOR SEALING BOTTLE S, ETC

Filed Dec. 5, 1923 2 Shgets-{Sheet 2 @QMLW Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

PATENT Lbtdl Flt.

JOSEPH TALANSIER, F PARIS, FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR SEALING BOTTLES, ETC.

Application filed December 5, 1923, Serial No. 678,699, and in FranceDecember 21, 1922.

This invention relates to a hermetic sealing under Vacuum of bottles,jars, boxes and other receptacles, by means of covers or capsules, madeof metal or other suitable material, which are tightened on the neck ofthe receptacle, this mode of sealing being more particularly intended tobe used prior to sterilization by means of heat, with a view topreserving all kinds of liquids, preserves, etc., such as and moreparticularly milk, meat extract, fruit, vegetables, etc.

As an example of carrying into effect the above process of sealing undervacuum by means of tightened-on capsules or covers, a sealing machine isdescribed and illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus for sealing receptaclesby capsules or covers tightened-on under vacuum, the various parts beingshown at the moment when the receptacle to be sealed, a bottle in thatparticular case, is about to be introduced.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the various members being shown during theoperation of sealing a cap under vacuum. 1

Fig. 3 is a general view of a machine for sealing under vacuum,comprising the above said apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus for sealing under vacuumconsists in principle of a vacuum box made of two parts 1 and 2, capableof sliding in each other, the hermetic sealing of the joint of thistelescopic mounting being ensured by a suitable packing 3. The top part4;, of the upper part 1 of the vacuum boX which is rigidly mounted,comprises a cylinder 5 on its inside, which cylinder is cast integral orattached thereto, its bottom 6 being attached to part 5 inany suitablemanner and being provided with an opening 7; the centre of the said toppart 4; is also provided with an opening surmounted by a guiding sleeve8 in which slides a rod 9 of round or rectangular section for instance,ended at that extremity which can be displaced in the cylinder 5, by atransverse bar 10 sliding in a mortise 11, longitudinally provided in asolid block 12, which is integral or is at mortise 11, and the innerwall of the cylinder 5, integral with the top part 4: of the fixed part1 of the vacuum box, on which ring bear the ends of the transverse head10 of the rod 9, the said ring 13 resting upon a rubber washer 14: whichis itself supported upon the rim formed by the bottom 6, theopening 7 ofwhich is intended to allow a free passage for the neck of thereceptacle, a bottle 15 for instance, provided with its cap or sealingcover 16 to be tightened-on under vacuum, the said receptacle 15 beingpartly engaged in the vacuum box through an opening provided in thebottom 1? of the movable part 2 which is provided with a resilientwasher 18 against which the receptacle is pressed, and towhich an upwardmovement is imparted, thus ensuring a hermetic sealing of the joint atthe shoulder of the bottle, and causes at the same time by its upwardmovement, the sliding of the part 2 inside the fixed part 1 of thevacuum box, until the neck abuts against the solid block 12, the plug ofthe capsule or cover 16, being then pressed between them.

The conduit 19 of a valve box 20, leads to the top of part 1, whichconduit permits a vacuum to be obtained in the vacuum box and in thespace left in the neck of the receptacle 15 above the liquid orsubstance to be preserved, as the capsule 16 which simply rests upon theneck does not prevent such a communication. 21 and 22 are valves foroperating the vacuum and the inlet of air in the vacuum box when thesealing under vacuum is effected. I

This operation is carried out in principle according to the presentinvention and by means of the above apparatus in the follow ing manner.

The receptacle 15, with its capsule or cover 16 simply slipped over andresting upon the neck, is introduced. inside the vacuum box through theopening of the bottom 17 of the sliding part 2, the joint with thereceptacle being hermetically sealcdby virtue of the resilient washer18, the neck of the receptacle extending through the opening 7 of thebottom 6 of the central cylinder 5 01 the fixed part 1 of the vacuumbox, as shown in Fig. 1.

A more or less slow upward movement being imparted to the receptacle,which movement carries with it the movable part 2, a vacuum is producedinside the vacuum box during the said upward movement, so that a vacuumexists inside the whole of the box and inside the receptacle 15 to besealed, at the moment when the neck of the receptacle abuts against thecentral solid block 12, the bottom of the cap or cover 16 being thencaught and pressed between the said block and the neck,asshov.*n in Fig.2.

At that moment, the vacuum being still maintained in the vacuum box, adownward motion is imparted to the rod 9 which carries with it the head10, which head slides in the mortise 11 of the block 12, and which restsagainst the ring 13 and causes the latter to come down and to compressthe rubber ring let which is thus distorted or forced out of shape andpresses the flange of the capsule or cover 16 under the action of thepressure which is transmitted to it, and causes it to penetrate and tobe moulded in the grooves or under the beading provided as usual or forthis purpose at the end of the neck of the receptacle 15, the capsule orcover being thus tightened on the neck of the receptacle, the sealing bytightening-on being thus carried out in the vacuum.

The tightening-on operationbeing ended under vacuum, the valve 21 of thevacuum machine is closed and the valve 22 is opened allowing the outsideair to penetrate into the vacuum box, whilst the sealed receptacle islowered and can therefore be withdrawn from the bottom 17, the movablepart 2 of which is brought to its original position by any suitablemeans.

Of course the ti ghtening-on member which is represented here by thecompressed rubber washer and which has already been used in ordinarysealing machines working in the atmospheric air, may be replaced by anyother means or devices for tightening-in, as this has only a secondaryimportance in the method of sealing under vacuum by tightening-in.

In order to ensure the successive working of the various members of thesaid vacuum box and the various operations which are necessary forcarrying the sealing process into effect, a machine for sealing undervacuum by means of tightened-on covers may be formed as follows and asillustrated in Fig. 3.

A column 23 carried by a pedestal 2 1, comprises two arms 25 and 26, thefirst of which acts as a support for the apparatus for sealing undervacuum and which has just been described, and the members forproducingthe vacuum and for carrying out the tightening-in operation, the secondarm 26 supporting and guiding a plate 27, on which is placed thereceptacle 15 to be sealed.

The machine is operated by means of a pedal 28, which actssimultaneously. upon rods 29 and 80, the first of whichis keyed upon theoscillating axle of the pedal 28 and carries at its upper end a roller31, which during the oscillating movement of the said rod lifts a cam 32of suitable shape and therefore the sliding support 36, of the plate 27,through the intermediary of the rods 33,

3 1 and 35 which su )ort is raised and brin s i 3 D pedal 28, the secondrod 30 acts upon a lever 37 which is pivotally mounted upon the bracket25, and which successively operates the valve 21, which places incon'mumication the vacuum box with the vacuum-producing machine andwhich may be of any type, a suction pump for instance, and operatesafterwards by a continuous action of the pedal 28, which has ceased tolift the cam 32 owing to its suitable shape, the rod 9 of the transversebar 10, which through the metallic ring 13 and to the tightening-inrubber ring 14, thus compressed all around the side wall or flange ofthe cap or cover 16, produces its sealing upon the neck, as shown inFig. 2.

By freeing the pedal. 28, the lever 37 swings in the opposite directionin order to re-take its first position, thereby disengaging the rod 9,which effects the tightening-on operation, and operates the rod of thevacuum valve 21, for the inlet of air into the vacuum box, and closesthe valve 22 b means of a shackle 3.8, fixed at its en therebypermitting the bottle 15 or other sealed receptacle, to leave the vacuumbox and come down with the plate 27 which carries it.

In the operation of this improved machine a bottle or other receptacleto be sealed will be placed on the plate orreceptacle support 27 withits neck, having a sealing cap thereon, in the position shown in Fig. 1.The plate or support 27 is then lifted by the treadle-operated meanshereinbefore described, and this lifting of said support forces theshoulder of the receptacle against the elastic washer 18, thus making atight joint between the shoulder of the receptacle and the movable partof the vacuum box while the receptacle 15 is beingraised to the positionshown in Fig. 2. Thecontinued movement of the treadle-operated mechanismnext causes the exhaust or vacuum valve to be opened for the vacuumexhaust of the receptacle,'and instantaneously following this operationthe head 10 descends for sealing the cap, as shown in Fig. 2. It is tobe understood that the whole operation of lifting the receptacle to besealed, exhausting the vacuum chamber and scaling the cap is practicallyan instantaneous one,

and that the pressure of the shoulder of the receptacle against theelastic washer 18 Will be suflicient, during this operation, to keep atight joint between said washer and said shoulder to maintain a propervacuum in the chamber of the vacuum box until the sealing of thereceptacle is effected.

Here too, the construction of a sealing machine for instance, by meansof a cap or cover tightened-on under vacuum, may comprise modificationsfor Working of the vacuum box it being understood that a simul taneoussealing of several receptacles may be carried out according to the sameprinciple, and that it is possible. to introduce the whole receptacle tobe sealed in the vacuum box, the bottom 17 of the movable part 2 oiwhich comes then for instance, in contact with the plate 27, a hermeticsealing joint between the said bottom and the plate being ensured, ofcourse, by means of a suitable packing 18.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in What manner it is to be performed, I declare that WhatI claim is:

In a bottle sealing machine, the combination With a telescoping boxconstructed to receive a bottle neck With a sealing cap thereon, saidbox comprising fixed and movable parts, the latter sliding Within theformer, means Within said box for compressing said cap around said neckto seal the receptacle, said movable part having an opening throughWhich the neck of the bottle may pass, said opening being lined by anelastic Washer to afford an air-tight joint around the shoulder of thebottle, and means for lifting said bottle and causing the movable partof said vacuum boX to be raised to scaling position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH TALANSIER.

